• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Beautiful Ingredient
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • PORTFOLIO
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • PORTFOLIO
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • ABOUT
    • PORTFOLIO
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • An overhead view of a bowl of broccoli and tomato pasta with beans.
      Broccoli and Cherry Tomato Pasta
    • Bruschetta on a handmade plate topped with air fryer cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
      Air Fryer Cherry Tomatoes
    • Quinoa Salad with Edamame
    • Roasted Sesame Dressing
    • A small bowl of raw vegan gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough with chocolate chips scattered around it.
      Vegan Gluten-free Cookie Dough
    • Edible flower ice cubes scattered on a marble surface.
      Edible Flower Ice Cubes
    • A plateful of golden sourdough croutons.
      Vegan Croutons (oil-free)
    • A jar of nut-free vegan salad dressing in front of a board containing caesar salad.
      Nut-free Vegan Caesar Dressing
    • Vegan mango summer rolls in a coconut bowl with one leaning on the outside.
      Vegan Mango Summer Rolls
    • Balsamic Pasta Salad
    • Tofu steaks on top of oat groats, served next to sauteed mushrooms.
      Tofu Steaks (vegan)
    • Dairy-free parmesan cheese sprinkles in a small bowl surrounded by large salads.
      Vegan Parmesan Sprinkles
    Home » drinks

    How to Make Herbal Iced Tea

    Jump to Recipe

    Discover how easy it is to make herbal iced tea at home. No need for special equipment - you probably already have everything you need. It's quick to make a pitcherful of any flavor you like. Plus, you can use Edible Flower Ice Cubes to make your iced tea next level!

    A small pitcher of nondairy creamer being poured into a glass of iced tea next to a pitcherful and a large ice cube with a nasturtium bloom in it.

    For many summers, I put off making iced tea. It seemed like a hassle. The reality is, it really isn't a hassle at all and is so satisfying on a summer day. It's definitely worth making! For extra flair and beauty, I like to use Edible Flower Ice Cubes.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Equipment
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • FAQ
    • Related
    • Pairing
    • The Recipe
    • general food safety

    Ingredients

    You don't need much to make herbal iced tea!

    An herbal tea bag, creamer, a teapot, a pitcher of water, and floral ice cubes layed out to make herbal iced tea.

    Herbal tea bag: Simply choose your favorite standard-sized herbal iced tea bag. Not all tea bags are created equal. I like to look for unbleached biodegradable tea bags, like those by Clipper. Pictured is their orange and turmeric herbal tea - so good!

    Alternatively, you can use fresh flavorful herbs, like lemon balm and pineapple mint.

    Filtered Water: Some for the tea kettle and some for the pitcher.

    Ice Cubes: Any will do. For fancy, use Edible Flower Ice Cubes or Blood Orange Ice Cubes.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Equipment

    Tea kettle

    Liquid measuring cup, mug, or 8-oz+ bowl

    Pitcher (one quart/liter)

    Drinking glass(es)

    Instructions

    It just takes a few simple steps to get a pitcherful of iced tea ready.

    A teabag steeping in a glass measuring pitcher half filled with hot water.

    Steep 1-2 tea bags (or a bundle of fresh herbs tied together with kitchen twine) in boiled water.

    A tall pitcher with large ice cubes that have herbal flowers frozen in their centers.

    Add ice to a pitcher.

    Water being poured into a tall pitcher of herbal iced tea.

    Pour water and steeped tea into the pitcher of ice.

    An overhead view of fresh herbs surrounding a pitcher and glass filled with iced tea.

    Pour from the pitcher into a glass. Add more ice as needed.

    Tips:

    The darker the tea, the less you'll see your beautiful cubes.

    One tea bag for a lighter tea, two for more flavor.

    1 cup boiled water to steep teabag

    A large edible flower ice cube being dropped into a pitcher of iced tea.
    A water carafe filled with herbal iced tea with large pink flower ice cubes.

    Variations

    Try adding herbs or fruit to your iced tea (like any of the flavored waters), or flavored ice cubes like Blood Orange Ice Cubes.

    Storage

    When not in use, keep your pitcherful of iced tea in the fridge for up to a couple days. Alternatively, you can keep adding ice to it, though that can dull the flavor and color.

    Herbal iced tea being poured from a pitcher to a glass.

    FAQ

    Which herbal tea makes a good iced tea?

    If you like the flavor of a particular herbal tea, it will most likely make a great iced tea! Lately, I've been enjoying an orange and turmeric iced tea by Clipper.

    Can you brew herbal tea in cold water?

    You can, though for the most flavor extraction it's best to use a smaller amount of boiling water for steeping and then add cold water after it's steeped.

    Related

    Looking for more recipes for drinks? Check out the Drinks page!

    Pairing

    These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:

    • Edible flower ice cubes scattered on a marble surface.
      Edible Flower Ice Cubes
    • Several blood orange ice cubes next to each other.
      Blood Orange Flavored Ice Cubes
    • red, white, and blue drink of fruit and herbs in a water pitcher
      Red, White, and Blue Flavored Water
    • A glass pitcher of lemon mint water on a marble surface.
      Lemon Mint Flavored Water

    The Recipe

    Iced tea being poured into a glass with a floral ice cube in it.

    How to Make Herbal Iced Tea

    Discover how easy it is to make herbal iced tea at home. No need for special equipment - you probably already have everything you need. It's quick to make a pitcherful of any flavor you like.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Lifestyle: Vegan
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2
    Fiber:
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • tea kettle or microwave
    • liquid measuring cup or mug
    • pitcher
    • drinking glass

    Ingredients

    • 1-2 herbal tea bag(s) your favorite
    • 4 cups filtered water 1 cup for boiling + 3 cups
    • 3-6 ice cubes or more, depending on size

    Decorative variations

    • Edible Flower Ice Cubes
    • Blood Orange Ice Cubes
    • fresh herbs like basil, mint, rosemary
    • fresh fruit like berries, mango, watermelon, or pineapple

    Instructions

    • Boil: In a tea kettle, bring at least one cup of water to boil.
    • Steep: Place one or two tea bags in a liquid measuring cup, mug, or other heat-resistant container that can hold at least one cup of liquid.
      Pour about one cup of boiling water over the tea bag(s) and steep for 5 minutes, or according to package instructions.
    • Ice: In a pitcher with at least one quart/liter (4 liquid cups) capacity, place 3-6 ice cubes, depending on the size of your cubes - or more, if you'd like. Use decorative ice cubes, if desired.
    • Liquid: Add three cups of water to the pitcher of ice. Once the tea is finished steeping, remove the tea bag(s) and pour the steeped tea into the pitcher of ice water.
    • Storage: Keep chilled. When not in use, keep your pitcherful of iced tea in the fridge for up to a couple days. Alternatively, you can keep adding ice to it, though that can dull the flavor and color.

    Notes

    One tea bag will provide light flavor, two will give you a stronger flavor. 
    I recommend steeping within the time indicated on the package instructions or within 5 minutes. Steeping too long can lead to a bitter flavor.
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see! On Instagram, mention @beautifulingredient and tag #beautifulingredient!

    general food safety

    See guidelines at USDA.gov.

    More drinks

    • A glass pitcher filling with water, with kiwi and strawberry slices floating in it.
      Strawberry Kiwi Flavored Water
    • Fresh-made orange-carrot juice in a glass.
      Sunshine Orange Blender Juice
    • Cherries dancing in a stream of water pouring into a pitcher.
      Cherry Vanilla Flavored Water
    • Steamed milk topped with caramel swirls in a gray cup.
      Vegan Caramel Steamer

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





    Primary Sidebar

    Kari smelling anise hyssop while standing behind her market basket and fresh produce.

    Welcome to a world of beautiful food!

    I'm Kari, and this is where I celebrate beautiful ingredients and focus on ways to make eating more plants easier. Recipes are centered around whole foods and are vegan, oil-free, refined sugar-free, and mostly gluten-free. And so delicious!

    types of recipes we're hungry for

    • gluten-free
    • snacks
    • 30 minutes or less
    • 5 ingredients or less

    as seen in

    Thrive Magazine 35 featuring the work of Beautiful Ingredient

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    beautiful ingredient

    About
    Contact

    Subscribe

    eating more plants

    Recipe Index


    food photography services

    Work with Me • Portfolio
    Photography/Recipe Request Form

    Privacy Policy • Terms of Use • Copyright/Content Usage

    Copyright © 2023 Beautiful Ingredient

    Herbal iced tea in a pitcher and glass with nondairy creamer being poured in and text indicating it's a quick and easy recipe and can choose any flavor you'd like.